Why do different compunds made out of the same or similar atoms have fundamentally different properties?

Question

Total chemistry noob here. I do kinda understand how compunds form, but why do they behave so different, e.g. even if just one out of 8 atoms is switched out for another while the rest stays the same.

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

The shape of the molecules, and what it’s components are, will largely determine the properties of the material. In a lot of cases, similar molecules will have similar properties, such as methanol and ethanol. In other cases, the difference is more dramatic (methanol and methane).